If ESPN winds up paying the NFL $1.8-1.9B per year for the rights
to "Monday Night Football," it could have major implications for the
league's labor situation. Some, like sports agent Drew Rosenhaus,
believe the big rights fee increase "severely reduces the chances of a
lockout at this point," as the deal "clearly shows the NFL is at an
all-time high." Others, like NHL agent Ian Pulver, believe ESPN's
record-high payout will have little effect. "I think the news of the TV
deal confirms what we already know, economic times are vibrant for the
NFL," Pulver said. "However, it won't have any impact on whether the
owners will lock the players out, so long as the owners believe they
can get what they want, and not what they need." SportsCorp President
Marc Ganis said the new ESPN numbers could help make the NFL's case
that, as required by the CBA, it is maximizing revenue. Ganis also said
that the new ESPN numbers reinforce the NFL's position that if revenues
grow, players will not be hurt by a reduction in the salary cap. There
is a Special Master proceeding underway in which the union is arguing
the league took in low amounts of TV money from CBS, NBC and Fox when
they signed extensions in '09 to lock in payments during a work
stoppage. But National Football Post’s Andrew Brandt, a former Packers
executive, said of ESPN's potential deal, "You would certainly think
they are maximizing revenues with that" (THE DAILY).

GIVING PLAYERS FIREPOWER: In N.Y., Starr &
Tharp cite experts as saying that ESPN's new NFL deal "could give the
players more firepower as they push for a greater share of the revenue
pie -- but at the same time make the rancorous labor talks with
management even more bitter." One source said, "It's a good news/bad
news situation for the owners. The owners are crying poor and it's
going to strengthen the Players Association's stance that the owners
aren't as bad off as they say they are." Another source familiar with
the contract talks said that the ESPN deal is "just another sign of
'double dealing' by owners." The source: "On one hand, the owners have
been claiming economic hardship, and then to turn around and do a
record TV deal -- it's a slap in the face to the players" (N.Y. POST, 1/7).
FORBES' Kurt Badenhausen wrote the NFLPA "has to love seeing TV
contract extensions at huge increases," as it "gives less credence to
the owners' position that they cannot make things work under the NFL's
current financial structure" (FORBES.com, 1/6). But Mediatech
Capital Partners Managing Partner of Corporate Finance Porter Bibb said
the deal "diminishes the threat of a strike, as far as I'm concerned" ("Taking Stock," Bloomberg TV, 1/6).
NEWSDAY's Neil Best wrote, "The net effect of all this is more of your
dollars landing in the pockets of NFL owners and players" (NEWSDAY.com, 1/6).

STATING THEIR CASE: In a special to ESPN.com, NFLPA
Assistant Exec Dir for External Affairs George Atallah wrote the NFL is
"at the height of its popularity and success," and "all signs and
indicators point to extraordinary success and rapid growth for the
business of football." Yet the league and team owners have indicated
the "economic model in the NFL doesn't work." Atallah wrote, "By the
way, in a league with no guaranteed contracts, revealed dangers of the
game and injury concerns at their peak, they want players to play two
extra regular-season games. The players maintain that one fundamental
question needs to be answered in earnest if there is to be an agreement
before a lockout: Why is the current deal so bad? ... Our repeated
requests for detailed financial information that would help us answer
the quintessential question have been denied." Atallah added, "The NFL
players have asked me to share a simple request on their behalf: Open
the books and let us play" (ESPN.com, 1/6).

The Tres Marias Championship in Mexico may
still be postponed due to security concerns

The LPGA "unveiled a 25 event schedule for 2011 on Thursday which
features a brand new 54-hole, stroke-play event known as the Founders
Cup as well as the resurrection of an event known as Titleholders,
which will close out the year," according to the GLOBE & MAIL. The
new season tees off in February with events in Thailand and Singapore
before moving to Phoenix for the March 18-20 RR Donnelley LPGA Founders
Cup, which "will feature 132 players who will forgo a tournament purse
with the money going towards charity." The season "will close with the
inaugural Titleholders, a season finale with a field made up of three
qualifiers from every official LPGA Tour tournament, which will feature
the LPGA's richest first-place prize of $500,000." The March 31-April 3
Kraft Nabisco Championship, the season's first major, "will celebrate
its 40th anniversary and follows the Founders Cup and the Kia Classic."
Following the Kraft Nabisco Championship is the Tres Marias
Championship in Morelia, Mexico, though LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan
said that the event "may have to be postponed due to security concerns
in the region due to the ongoing drug wars in Mexico" (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/7).

HIT THE ROAD: In L.A., Diane Pucin notes 12
tournaments will be held outside the U.S. this season, "one more than
last year." The list includes two tournaments in Mexico and seven in
Asia. The tour "will offer $43.65 million in prize money, $3 million
more than a year ago." Whan: "We are a lot like a lot of the business
partners that sponsor us. A lot of times they'll say, 'Mike, in the
last 10 or 15 years we used to have all of our business in America and
not a lot overseas. Now we have a lot of overseas and a little bit in
America.' I'm a lot less worried after a year in the job. I've seen an
interest in domestic title sponsors" (L.A. TIMES, 1/7). He
added, "If your goal is to stimulate, generate and enhance women's golf
worldwide, you don't do that with a fax and an e-mail, you don't do
that with an occasional telecast. If you want to excite golf in China,
go to China. … I really believe that what we've created on the LPGA is
worldwide interest" ("Golf Central Pre-Game," Golf Channel, 1/6).
Golfer Christina Kim said, "I'm a fairly positive person, and we will
have to take advantage of the situation and expand the brand of women's
golf worldwide. Obviously, I'd love to have 30, 35, 40 events on our
schedule this year, but we won't see that for a few years. The economy
just won't let us right now. It's going to be tough for the rookies and
those outside the top 50 on the money list, but where we're at right
now is we have to follow the money. We just have to do whatever we can
to stay afloat" (USA TODAY, 1/7).

CHARITABLE CAUSE: GOLF WORLD's Ron Sirak wrote the
Founders Cup that "kicks off the U.S.-based portion of the LPGA
schedule in March is either a great idea, a dangerous precedent or a
desperation move, depending on how you look at it -- or all three." All
of the $1.3M purse is "going to charity," specifically the LPGA
Foundation's LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. The players essentially are
"doing a benefit for the tour." The Founders Cup "will provide
complimentary hotel rooms for the players, rooms for caddies to share
and a stipend to help with caddie fees." Players "will get points for
the Rolex World Ranking, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the
dollars won will count on the money list," but there "will be no direct
deposit made into the player's checking account." Sirak: "Now the fact
the Founder's Cup will raise money to help with a grow-the-game program
is a good thing -- in fact, it is a great thing. ... But the dilemma
for the LPGA is that with so few full-field, U.S.-based events, having
one in which there is no prize money is extremely inconvenient, to say
the least" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 1/6). GOLFWEEK's Beth Ann Baldry
cited several players as saying that they are "on board with the
concept." But "not everyone who finished near the top of the money list
in 2010 shares that enthusiasm, though they're unwilling to share those
views publicly" (GOLFWEEK.com, 1/6).

LENDING A HELPING HAND: PGA Tour Commissioner Tim
Finchem said Whan "has consistently reached out to me and our team on a
number of fronts: sponsorships, scheduling, tournament management."
Finchem: "He came into the job wanting to learn, and I think he's done
a good job of that. You know, the LPGA has its own set of challenges
that they're dealing with. They've got a reliance on a lot of
tournaments outside the United States. They have a heavily
international field of players every week, so they've got to maintain
their support in U.S. markets with that internationalization. It's not
easy. On the other hand, they have the advantage of being able to stage
and market their product very much on a global basis. So I'm confident
they'll work through this" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 1/5).
Whan said the biggest challenge facing the LPGA is "getting our product
on display more often because when we're on, we win." Whan: "The
product sells itself. … Our players get it. They really understand that
they do more than just play golf. They connect with the fans, they
connect with the sponsors, and so all we really have to do is just put
it on display" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 1/7).

FOX SPORTS' Jason Whitlock talked to David Stern for 30 minutes Thursday morning and asked the NBA Commissioner a range of questions about the state of the league, but they mostly focused on Heat F LeBron James and “The Decision.” Stern said, “Leaving aside whether he had it to do over again he might choose a little bit different way, I think that, on balance, it increased attention for the league. ... We’re up a substantial percentage in viewing on both TNT and ESPN and we’re doing very well on NBA TV games, as well. Even if you strip out the Heat and the Lakers, we’re still up well into double digits. I can’t define the exact reasons for that. I think more people absorb a little more TV, and sports are a very potent attractor of viewers.” The following is a portion of the Q&A.

Q: What did you think of LeBron suggesting the league would be improved by contracting a couple of teams and grouping more stars together?

Stern: As soon as I saw that commentary, I said, "This young man is going to wish he hadn’t raised the subject," and I felt badly for him. I actually agree with those who argue as a competitive-talent matter our current number is fine. And I distinguish that from an economic matter, if you get my drift. To me, I’m acutely and positively aware that with 85 or so players that have come from outside the United States -- and more on the way, no doubt -- that we basically have eight more rosters of teams than we had when the league was at 24. (The addition of foreign players) enormously enriched our game. ...

The issue where contraction has been raised in the past and might be raised again is when you watch teams struggle in the economic sense and they are partners of and they’re included in what I would call shared revenues, where in a couple of years we will have developed in the near future, where between licensing revenues, network television revenues and revenue sharing, where certain teams at the bottom end were getting $50 million a year from their partners from the group effort whether or not they sell a piece of merchandise or whether or not they appear on network television, then the issue gets raised among owners would it be economically sound for us to consider contraction. That’s a subject that will be fully aired after the season is over.

Q: LeBron is being booed in arenas across the league. Is it good for the league that its best player is a villain?

Stern: (Long sigh) I don’t like it. I think that it’s theater. I don’t think he’s really viewed as a villain. I think people love to either love or boo the Yankees. You either loved or booed Kobe and the Lakers. People used to love or hate the old Celtics. I think it will morph into the Heat being one of our really elite teams. And people boo the elite teams when they come into town to beat up on the hometown team.

Q: Can you clarify that answer?

Stern: I don’t mind it if he’s booed in the context of the dominant team he’s playing for. I think that I’m not sure people know exactly what they’re booing. Are they booing because he left Cleveland? Certainly they’re doing that in Cleveland. Are they booing him because it took 18 minutes for "The Decision" to say where he was going? Yeah, probably. Are they booing him because he’s part of a team that people think is too strong for their home team to compete with? Probably more so. And that will fade, and then they’ll boo him because he's a member of the high-performing Miami Heat.

Q: Final question, and it’s a curveball. It’s my pet issue -- tattoos. … Have the players gone too far with the tatts?

Stern: I guess what I would say to you, as diplomatically as I can, is when somebody invents a painless way to remove tattoos, there is going to be a lineup of our players saying, "Thank heavens! What was I thinking when I did this to myself?" And then I step back and say be careful because it depends upon your (perspective). It used to be afros and earrings and a whole lot of other things that were just expressions were viewed as something that was not desirable. And we stood back and said, "Come on, let’s relax." So you and your anti-tattoo thing, I say, relax, this too shall pass (FOXSPORTS.com, 1/6).